I've often ranted about PowerPoint. Well, not ranted, just randomly inserted insults about it in posts.
However, I do, indeed, think it's one of the most insidious, overused, blighting tools of modern society. It appears that some might agree based upon a wikipedia entry (and we know how THOSE are expert), but, still.
It was originally developed for Macintosh which, right there, makes it suspect. Bought by Microsoft. Suspect. Yada yada yada.
Everybody MUST have a PPT now. And that PPT must have excessive text on each slide, defeating the purpose of its use. You have a memo with attachments. You have a speaker. Just read and listen. READ and LISTEN. It's a concept that, I think, helped civilization move past throwing bones in a bowl. Do NOT have 50 slides in your presentation, especially if you're one of five presentations.
Humans, as advanced (and I say that jokingly) as they are, aren't capable of higher critical thinking after about 20 minutes of sitting on their ass watching a fucking PPT.
I think it's a conspiracy.
8 months ago
Ugh. I hate PPT-type knock-offs that corporations use for test material. It'd be okay if I could just peruse it with my eyes, but no, they have some yammering female with a northeastern accent accompanying it with a script that doesn't exactly match what you're reading. Two different inputs: verbal words and visual words DO.NOT.WORK. Show pictures and graphs and talk or just shut the hell up and let me read it for myself. Gah!
ReplyDeleteWhoa. The room was closing in there on me for a minute. . .
I understand your pain. I was in a meeting for 3 1/2 hours last night. Last week it was EIGHT HOURS. With FIVE BRIEFINGS (insert PPT here).
ReplyDeleteAND, I'm so glad you're okay! Understand the life intervening stuff.
ReplyDeleteI do not yet have a PPT for my latest revelation, but I feel very sorry for you helpless Texans.
ReplyDeleteWhich is worse?
ReplyDelete1) presenter fills his slides with small print text, then reads it, with his back turned to the audience.
2) Presenter with gimmicky cartoons, or swimsuit photos etc "designed to keep you awake" always trying to be funny. NO correlation slides to speech.
3) Paper copy of slides distibuted AFTERWARDS, so not available for you to add your margin notes
etc etc
Hmm, my relevation has not gone viral yet. Hey, Txians, save your slugs/snails, spit on the lawn and bushes. They are a vital part of the EEKosystem. Gov. Perry may have more power than I expected if he's squashed my blogspot. If you spread cheese all over Texas that would help preserve dampness.
ReplyDeleteUR wlcm, df.
It may not be PowerPoint's fault. Perhaps it is the fault of people who fail to use it to enhance, but rather to take the place of actually presenting something. Stand up to bad PPTs! Take back the meetings!
ReplyDelete